McLouth nets four PR’s in Lawrence
The McLouth cross country team had four runners record personal-best times at Thursday’s Delaware Valley League meet at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence.
Seniors Martin Lucas and Grant Smelser, along with juniors Gelia Gardner and Jarrod Bechard ran their best times for the Bulldogs.
McLouth didn’t have enough runners to field a full squad in the boys or girls race, so the Bulldogs competed individually.
Lucas was the first MHS runner to cross the finish line for McLouth at 20 minutes, 57 seconds. The finish earned Lucas 38th place.
“I think he’s a strong hills runner and you have to be a good hill runner to run at Rim Rock,” McLouth cross country coach Jamie Noll said.
Bad news, though, for the Bulldogs: Lucas might miss the Bulldogs’ regionals race on Saturday in Leonardville. The senior injured his toe during the weekend and didn’t practice Monday.
Smelser recorded his best time at 22:07, good for 52nd place. Bechard finished after Smelser, in 62nd place with a time of 22:40. Senior Steven Nowlan rounded out the Bulldogs finishers in 83rd place with a time of 26:44.
Gardner beat her personal-best time by a minute-and-a-half on Thursday. She recorded a 19:59, which earned her 28th place.
In preparation for the DVL meet, Noll took her runners out to Rim Rock twice — on Oct. 1 and Oct. 8. It paid off with the four personal-best times.
Noll said the Leonardville Golf Course, which will hold the regional meet Saturday, was a flatter course than Rim Rock. McLouth runners have participated at the course for the past two years.
“They’ll just have to get out faster,” Noll said. “That’s the hardest thing. With Rim Rock, you have to pace yourself and know that in the last half-mile, there’s a hill, and you won’t make it up if you sprint the whole time. For the flat course, I hope they can find that pace themselves.”